The Photograph
by Glass-Licker
Summary: Set in the 1960s. Miley is a traditional Southern Belle living in rural Tennessee. Lilly is an adventurous rebel who dresses in men's clothing. The world is changing. Can Lilly convince Miley to change with it?
1. The Arrival

An aged hand wrote out careful letters on a piece of blank parchment.

_I find that as I grow older, my memories are becoming fainter, slowly fading._

The late afternoon sun illuminated the old wooden desk causing shadows to dance across the paper. The soft scratching of the pen on was accompanied by the steady ticking of a distant grandfather clock.

_Much like an antique photograph, whose sharp images have gradually diminished into monotone amber. _

The hand paused as if in thought then continued shakily.

_However…there are some things I will never forget._

The sudden sound of knuckles rapping against a wooden door ceased the writing altogether.

An elderly Miley smiled sadly as she gently laid her pen down. She stood slowly yet gracefully before making her way down to the entrance hall.

Upon nearing the door, faint voices could be heard from the outside on the porch.

"Mommy, how long are you gonna be gone?"

"Robbie, honey, I've told you twice already…"

Miley's smile widened with recognition as she smoothed out her skirt. Then with a final soothing breath, she swung the front door wide open.

"Grandma!" A young blonde boy leapt out of his mother's arms and nearly tackled the elder woman with a hug.

"Robbie!" Miley exclaimed with a surprised laugh as she returned the tight hug, "Oh my, look at how tall you have gotten. Get any taller and you might just knock me to the ground with those hugs of yours!" Miley chuckled as she gazed down at her grandson lovingly. The boy answered with a wide smile, revealing a newly missing front tooth, before scuttling quickly through the front door.

"Dibs on the bunkroom!" He shouted behind him.

Miley signed softly as she shifted her gaze back up to the beaming middle-aged couple waiting on the porch. They both appeared to be in their early forties, signs of aging just beginning to register on their handsome faces. The woman had brilliant blonde wavy hair and bright blue eyes. Her husband stood next to her, with balding chestnut hair and deep brown eyes that resembled melted chocolate.

"John! How good to see you." Miley smiled as she greeted the middle-aged man.

The man nodded, smiling politely, "Always a pleasure Miley."

At that moment the blonde woman stepped forward and engulfed Miley in a tight hug.

"Oh Mom, it's been too long. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too dear, terribly." With those words, sadness and loneliness radiated briefly through the older woman's pale blue eyes.

The younger woman pulled back slightly, still grasping her mother's arms she whispered sincerely, "Thank you so much for doing this. You don't know how much it means to John and I."

Miley's eyes brightened once again as she chuckled lightly, "Oh Violet, you should know that looking over my two grandchildren for the summer is a pleasure not a hassle!"

"You say that now," Violet smirked as she shared a knowing glance with her husband.

"Oh hush. Now then, why don't the two of you come in and have a cup of tea while the children get settled. After all, I haven't seen you all since Christmas!" Miley grinned as she gestured to the open door.

Violet pressed her lips together and gave her husband a nervous glance.

John held his watch up to check the time and began carefully, "Miley we would love to stay, we really would…it's just that-" The old woman's heart fell. It seemed as if she never spent time with her family nowadays. It seemed almost…as if she had been forgotten.

"Ah yes, I see." Miley murmured with a slight frown. Then with a forced smile she pushed the sorrow out of voice," We'll just have tea some other time. I certainly wouldn't want you to be late because of little old me."

Violet and John simultaneously sighed in relief.

"Thanks again Mom." Violet hugged her mother one last time before quickly adding, "You have our phone numbers so don't hesitate to call at any time."

"Certainly." Miley replied with a firm nod.

"And make sure Robbie takes his vitamins every morning."

"I will."

"Don't let them stay up too late-"

"Honey, our flight!" John interrupted nervously. He checked his watch again. "We need to go _now_."

"Alright alright!" Violet started to the car with John trailing closely behind her, "Bye Mom! Bye kids, be good! Love you!"

The cranking of the engine sounded and Miley waved a final time as the car disappeared completely from the driveway.

Focusing her attention back on the porch Miley smiled at the last member of the family, a girl who had been hidden by her tall parents until now.

The girl was in her awkward early teens, caught between being a child and a woman. She stood shyly with her head down and shoulders hunched. Half of her face was covered by wavy dark brown hair and her ears were crammed with white iPod headphones. The most striking features on the young girl were her eyes, which were the same brilliant blue as her mother's.

"Why hello there, Rose." Miley grinned as she greeted her granddaughter.

"Hi grandma." Rose's reply was curt and her gaze remained fixed on the ground.

"Well then," Miley started slowly, a bit taken back by the lack of response from her granddaughter. "How about we go inside? Do you need help with your bags?"

"No thanks." Rose muttered as she picked up her single suitcase and brushed past her grandmother without another word.

Miley quickly followed the Rose into the house, "How was your school year?" She asked, hoping to get a decent reply from the teenager.

"Okay."

Miley licked her lips patiently as she tried again, "Nothing noteworthy has occurred since Christmas?"

"Not really."

Finally with a small sigh, Miley gently placed her hand on the young girl's shoulder, "Is something the matter, dear? You seem upset about something."

Rose shrugged carelessly, "I'm fine. Can I stay in the upstairs guest room?"

"You can stay wherever you wish." Miley conceded with nod.

Miley watched with concern as Rose lugged her suitcase up the stairs. She hated seeing her granddaughter upset.

Miley released an anxious sigh as she walked over to the kitchen in order to start up dinner. She loved to be in the company of her beloved grandchildren, but seeing them miserable only made her miserable.

Then again, these days Miley always felt miserable. Loneliness constantly hovered over her like a dark cloud. It was such a profound loneliness that her only forms of company were her past memories.

Much of her past had been long forgotten or had faded into the farthest recesses of her mind. However, some things she couldn't seem to forget. They were memories that to this day haunted and festered within her.

Miley shook her head clear as she carefully placed a turkey in the oven.

It was going to be a long summer.


	2. The Discovery

A deep sigh escaped from the disgruntled teenager lying on the bed. Rose was completely and uttered bored. Only two days had elapsed since her parents' car had rolled out of the driveway leaving her stranded with her grandmother, and yet it felt like an eternity.

Malibu…what was there to do in Malibu? She missed L.A. She missed the thrill of the city and the company of her friends.

Rose knew that she was being a brat about the entire situation, pouting and acting miserable because she didn't want to waste the summer at her grandmother's house. However, at the moment Rose was so upset she couldn't care less.

"Rooooooseeee!" The teenager scowled as Robbie's whiny voice reached her ears. Having an annoying brother almost a decade younger certainly didn't help her already horrible situation.

The blonde boy stumbled into the room, and upon spotting his adored older sister pounced on the bed excitedly, "Rose! I'm borrreddd, can we play a game?"

"Robbie, I just need my alone time right now." Rose muttered tightly as she began putting her headphones on.

Robbie stuck out his lower lip as far it would go and squealed, "Pullllleaze!"

"Robbie…" Even though he was bothersome, Rose had to admit that her younger brother was adorable. His shaggy blonde hair flopped over his face and his deep brown eyes grew as wide as saucers. The puppy dog face…it was Robbie's secret weapon.

Rose tried to look away and crank her iPod, but her brother's lovable pout proved to be too much.

"Uhh fine! I'll play." Rose groaned as she harshly yanked out the white earbuds.

"Saweet!" Robbie shouted as he fist pumped the air.

"But," Rose added, looking sternly at the younger boy, "I'll only play hide and go seek…and you have to be it."

Robbie gave a disappointed grunt at his sister's conditions, he much preferred hiding over seeking, but nodded all the same.

Rose smirked. Hide and go seek was a perfect way for her to get some peace and quiet. She only needed to find the perfect hiding place…

"Alright, count to a hundred. Ready?" Robbie nodded excitedly, "Go!" Rose sprinted out of the room pausing slightly to glance up and down the long hallway.

Robbie's voice sounded distant behind her, "One…two…three…fifteen…twenty-seven…"

Rose tapped her foot anxiously as she analyzed her options. The guest rooms were too easy, she wasn't allowed in her grandma's room, and there were no quality hiding spots in the living room.

"Fifty-three…seventy...."

"Shit," Rose muttered as she jogged a little further down the hall, searching desperately for an adequate hiding spot.

"Ninety-nine…One hundred! Ready or not, here I come!" Jake's shrill voice was instantly followed by quick footsteps. Panicking, Rose yanked open the nearest closet door and threw herself inside.

In the complete dark of the closet Rose reached around expecting to feel fur coats or linens and instead…felt nothing. Confused, the teenager stepped forward only to trip suddenly, landing on her knee painfully.

Rose bit down harshly on her lower lip to keep from shouting.

Rose looked down to find that she had tripped on a narrow staircase leading up to the next level.

Curiosity twinkled in the teenager's dark blue eyes. Cautious yet determined she slowly made her way upstairs. At the top, Rose reached a small wooden door with bits of light seeping from the edges.

Creaking the door open, Rose timidly peaked her head through the doorway before stepping all the way inside.

"The attic?"

The room was small yet cozy with a low slanted ceiling. A large bay window provided a significant amount of light as well as a beautiful view of the ocean.

A tiny cot was nestled in the corner, and the rest of the room was filled with…stuff. Boxes, clothes, and every imaginable form of clutter were crammed into every available space. Even the walls were crowded with pictures, awards, and posters.

Rose glanced at some of the pictures closest to her. They were all in black and white and some were beginning to fade. One was of a beautiful blonde woman dressed in a bright sparkling dress posing alongside an imposing man in a suit. The man seemed familiar. Rose examined the picture closer and noticed a scrawled signature in the bottom right corner.

"John F. Kennedy…" she read aloud. "Oh my god, that's the president!" Who was this girl?! And how did she get the opportunity to meet the president?

Glancing at other pictures, Rose noticed that the glamorous blonde was in all of them. However, even more startling than the mystery woman was the people she appeared to be acquainted with.

Elvis, astronauts, Jimmy Hendrix…it was incredible. Finally turning her attention away the wall, Rose began to carefully maneuver her way around. She moved slowly, both to take in her surroundings and terrified of accidentally breaking some precious family heirloom.

Reaching a small clothing rack, Rose began rifling through the assorted garments. There were fur coats, stunning dresses, and silk tops. Despite the smell of mothballs and obvious aging, all of the outfits were gorgeous and, Rose could tell, _expensive_.

Growing more and more astounded, Rose turned sharply and yanked open the nearest box.

"Shoes!" Patent leather heels, bejeweled sandals, trendy peep-toes, and fierce stilettos. Pair after pair, piled endlessly on top of each other. Rose quickly shut the box in shock.

"What's going on here!" Rose was beside herself. Where did all of it come from! Was there something she didn't know about her grandmother? About her family history? The girl stumbled over to the small cot in the corner and exhaustedly threw herself upon it.

As initial surprise of her discovery was beginning to fade, Rose noticed a small box nestled directly beneath cot.

"What's this?" Balancing herself carefully, she reached her arms under and retrieved the curious chest.

It looked similar to a jewelry box. Rose smirked to herself; at this point she wouldn't be surprised if it were filled with precious jewels and diamonds.

Licking her lips in anticipation, Rose hastily threw the lid of the box open.

"AHHHH!" The girl shrieked as a giant cloud of dust was thrown in the air, blinding and choking her. Rose jumped off the bed, hacking profusely. It took a few minutes, but finally the dust had settled and Rose had gathered herself once more.

Steeling all of her courage, the teenager leaned over and peered into the dark box.

Her eyes grew wide as saucers at what they saw. It was another picture, but it wasn't a picture of just anyone.

It was her.

Rose gently lifted the picture closer to her face. There was no mistaking it. The gently wavy hair, the striking blue eyes, even the gently sloping nose all clearly belonged to her.

However, the dress…She had never seen the dress before. And the lips weren't quite right. Her hair was a bit shorter as well. Most of all, why was it in black and white?

Then it hit her. This wasn't a picture of herself at all!

"Grandma…" It had to be. Who else would it be? The picture was too old to be her mother at that age.

Rose swallowed in astonishment. The resemblance was uncanny. The younger version of her grandmother looked almost exactly like her.

Setting the picture aside on the cot, Rose glanced back inside the box. It was filled to the brim with pictures.

Grasping the top handful of photos, Rose couldn't seem to quench her growing curiosity.

Another picture of her grandma, this time with a man whom she assumed was her great-grandfather. He seemed nice enough. He was tall, handsome, and had really good hair.

She flipped through several more family photos, until reaching one picture that particularly grabbed her interest. It was of her grandmother and another girl around the same age. The other girl was blonde.

Rose's initial thought was that this blonde girl was the mystery woman on all of the walls. However, upon closer inspection, Rose saw that the two blondes couldn't be any more different.

The blonde on the walls was glamorous, always dressed in the most exquisite clothing, and a bit on the flashy side. Not only that but her hair was stick straight with bangs.

The girl in the picture appeared to be clad in common clothing, not flashy in the least. She had an easy confident smile, and her hair was naturally wavy.

Rose noticed how attached her grandmother and this girl appeared. In the picture, they held each other close as they laughed carelessly.

It was an ordinary photo, just two teenage girls, nothing special. Nevertheless, something about the picture drew Rose in. It piqued her interest even more than the plaques and astounding pictures on the wall. Even more than the rack full of designer clothing. Even more than the astounding box of shoes.

Rose's mind was set. She carefully placed all the pictures back in the box then tucked the box safely underneath her arm as she moved back to the stairway.

Shutting the door behind her, Rose hurried down the stairs. She was anxious to find out her grandmother, anxious to find out who the girl in the picture was.


End file.
